Packaging structures



March 17, 1970 B. E. HARRISON 3,501,084

PACKAGING STRUCTURES Filed June 14, 1968 I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent Int. Cl. B6sd 65/44 US. Cl. 229-68 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Folding lines are provided in an envelope comprising overlying sheets of material and having two spaced-apart side edges, a bottom edge, a top edge spaced-apart from the bottom edge and an opening providing access to a compartment defined by the sheets of material and within the confines of the side edges, the bottom edge and the top edge for receiving an object to be packaged in the envelope. The folding lines comprise a first folding line formed in one of the sheets of material and a second foldng line formed in one of the sheets of material. The foldmg lines each extend at least part way across the envelope between the side edges and are in spaced-apart relationship with respect to each other. One of the folding lines is positioned closer to the bottom edge than to the top edge and the other of the folding lines is positioned closer to the top edge than to the bottom edge. The folding lines constitute bending lines about which each sheet of material in which a folding line is formed folds to accommodate a bulky object packaged in the envelope.

This invention relates to packaging structures, in particular, to envelopes.

Envelopes generally comprise overlying sheets of material and have two spaced-apart side edges, a bottom edge, a top edge spaced-apart from the bottom edge and an opening providing access to a compartment defined by the sheets of material and within the confines of the side edges, bottom edge and top edge for receiving material to be packaged in the envelope.

Envelopes for shipping objects that require protection are generally constructed of a material consisting of a laminate of two outer sheets of strong paper and an inner layer of shredded newspaper or similar material, thereby providing cushioning between the article packaged and eX- ternal objects.

A more recent development has been the use of single faced corrugated paper as the material from which the envelopes are constructed. This material is much cheaper than the laminate material described above. An envelope constructed of this corrugated paper generally consists of a single piece of corrugated paper folded upon itself with the facing outwards. The side edges are defined by two flaps which overlap from one of the overlying sheets to the other and are glued or otherwise affixed. A closure for the envelope is generally provided by an extension of one of the overlying sheets of the envelope adapted to be sealed against the other. of the sheets.

The prior art constructions suffer from the serious disadvantage that, when bulky objects are desired to be shipped, difliculty is experienced in adapting the bag to the shape of the object and providing adequate closure. The bulky object distorts the center surface of the envelope and the flap generally cannot be sealed to a flat surface. A further serious disadvantage with the prior art structures is that difficulty is experienced in inserting the bulky object into the envelope and pushing it down towards the bottom. Thus, either a very much larger envelope has to ice be employed, or inferior sealing of the envelope has to be tolerated.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an envelope which can more readily package bulky objects.

According to the present invention there are provided at least two folding lines in the sheets of material constituting the envelope, each folding line extending at least part way across the envelope between the side edges of the envelope. The folding lines are in spaced-apart relationship with each other, with one of the folding lines being positioned closer to the bottom edge than to the top edge and the other being positioned closer to the top edge than to the bottom edge. The folding lines constitute bending lines about which each sheet of material in which the folding line is formed folds.

By provision of these fold lines, the envelope becomes very much more flexible when used to package a bulky object. Further, a fiat surface near the opening of the envelope is provided as a consequence of the fold lines, so that more efiiecient sealing of the envelope is achieved. This is a large advance over the prior art envelopes where no such flat sealing surface is provided when bulky objects are packaged, so that less efficient sealing of the envelope is achieved, and there is a distinct danger with the prior art envelopes of the envelope becoming unsealed and the object packaged falling out.

The envelope of the present invention is preferably constructed of single-faced corrugated paper, the facing of which is on the outside of the envelope. This material is cheap and readily available. It is very much cheaper than the shredded neWpaper-paper laminate referred to above, and therefore gives rise to less expensive envelopes. In addition, permanent fold lines can be readily formed in corrugated paper.

In a preferred construction, the sheets of material constituting the envelope are constituted by a single sheet of single-faced corrugated paper folded upon itself along a line coinciding with one of the edges of the envelope. The use of a single sheet of single-faced corrugated paper greatly simplifies the construction of the envelope. It further allows the use of a single operation to produce the blank from which the envelope is constructed, thereby lowering production costs. Further, the number of operations necessary to produce the envelope is reduced, further lowering production costs. It is preferred that the edge constituted by the fold in the single sheet of singlefaced corrugated paper be the bottom edge, since, when a closure flap is constituted by an extension of one face of the envelope, as it is in another preferred embodiment of the invention, the blank is more easily formed than if the edge were a side edge.

In the preferred construction where the envelope is constructed of a single sheet of single-faced corrugated paper folded upon itself with the fold constituting the bottom edge of the envelope, it is preferred to dispose tape, generally gummed paper, along the side edges of the envelope and secure the sheets of material together along the side edges of the envelope. The sealing of the side edges of the envelope in this manner gives an inexpensive construction and gives rise to ease of manufacture. As noted above, the prior art construction of envelopes of corrugated paper includes overlying flaps glued to one face of the envelope to constitute this side edges. The provision of tape along the sides of the envelope has advantages over the overlying flap construction of the prior art. Thus, the prior art construction requires the production first of a blank having two extensions, one each side of one half of the sheet of material, thereby requiring a complicated cutting operation. An envelope embodying this invention requires no such extensions, and the blank is of generally rectangular shape formed by a very simple cutting operation. Further,

the provision of extensions gives rise to the wasteful use of the construction material due to the use of a complicated shape, whereas by use of a simple rectangular shape, no waste occurs. When the prior art envelope is formed, a series of five operations is necessary: cutting the blank, folding the blank on itself, gumming the flaps, folding over the flaps, and sealing the flaps to one face, whereas, with an envelope embodying this invention, only four operations are necessary: cutting the blank, folding the blank on itself, disposing the tape along the edges of the envelope and sealing the tape to the edges of the envelope. The provision of folding lines in an envelope of the present invention does not constitute a separate step, since the fold lines are formed simultaneously with the cutting operation. The use, therefore, of tapes disposed along the edges of the envelope and secured thereto gives rise to advantages of economy of construction material and economy of production costs. Further, th provision of tapes also gives greater flexibility to the envelope than the overlying flap construction of the prior art.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, integral means are provided for sealing the opening of the envelope. The sealing is preferably provided, in the case where the envelope is constructed of single-faced corrugated paper, by a gummed extension of the facing of the corrugated paper constituting a flap which will overlie and seal to one face of the envelope. The provision of an extension of the facing of the corrugated paper as a flap for closure of the envelope has the advantage that a secure closure of the envelope is assured. In the aforementioned prior art envelope made of single-faced corrugated paper, two defects in closure of the envelope are apparent. Firstly, when the envelope contains bulky materials, there may be no flat surface readily presented to which a flap can be sealed. As noted above, this defect is minimized in the present invention by the provision of fold lines in the envelope. Secondly, the flap forming the closure can only be in sealing contact with the face of the envelope at the peaks of the corrugations, giving rise to incomplete sealing of the flap. The second defect is overcome in a preferred embodiment of the present invention by the use of only the facing of the corrugated paper as the flap. Thus only the facing of the corrugated paper is gummed to the face of the envelope. As indicated above, when the envelope is used to package bulky objects, there is presented a substantially flat surface to which the flap can be sealed. The combination of a flat surface and a continuous sealing area on the flap provides a very eflicient closure for the envelope.

Generally the opening the envelope will be adjacent the top edge of the envelope, but it equally can be provided at a position part way along the length of one of the faces of the envelope. In such a case, the sealing of the envelope, as will be appreciated, can be accomplished readily by a gummed extension of the facing of the corrugated paper in the vicinity of the opening.

The present invention resides in the provision of at least two folding lines in the sheets of material constituting the envelope, each folding line extending at least part way across the envelope between the side edges of the envelope, the folding lines being in spaced-apart relationship with each other, with one of the folding lines being positioned closer to the bottom edge than to the top edge of the envelope, and the other being positioned closer to the top edge than to the bottom edge. According to a preferred embodiment, first and second folding lines are formed in one of the sheets of material, and third and fourth folding lines are formed in the other of the sheets of material, the first, second, third and fourth folding lines each extending at least part way across the envelope between the side edges, with the third and fourth folding lines being in substantial alignment with the first and second folding lines respectively. The provision of the extra folding lines gives further flexibility to the envelope allowing bulky materials to be packaged more readily. M lifications are of course possible to this structure, as with the structure involving just two folding lines, such as the provision of a gummed flap which is an extension of the facing, preferably in the case where the opening is adjacent the top edge of the envelope.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention all the folding lines extend from one of the side edges to the other of the side edges. This provision of edge-to-edge folding lines is the optimum construction, especially in the case where four folding lines are provided, giving maximum flexibility to the envelope and allowing very efficient packaging of bulky objects.

The folding lines may be crease or score lines, etc., but preferably are crease lines. Score lines suffer the disadvantage that they give rise to a weakened construction.

The present invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 represents a perspective view of a blank for forming an envelope according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 represents an enlargement taken in the area of line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 represents a perspective view of the blank of FIGURE 1 folded and ready for sealing;

FIGURE 4 represents a perspective view of a sealed blank of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 represents a perspective view of an envelope according to the invention containing a bulky object.

In FIGURE 1, a blank 10 consists of a single sheet of single-faced corrugated paper having corrugations 12 and a facing 14, and in which are formed crease lines 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24. Crease line 16 serves as the line about which the blank is folded to form the envelope. A gummed flap 26 is provided consisting of an extension of facing 14 of the corrugated paper. The blank is folded (FIGURE 3) about crease line 16 to form an envelope having a bottom edge 28, side edges 30 and 32 and a top edge 34. The side edges are sealed by tapes (gummed paper) 36 and 38 (FIGURE 4). When the envelope is used to package a bulky article, the material bends about the fold lines 18, 20, 22 and 24 to accommodate the bulky artcile and provide a flat sealing surface 40 for flap 26.

In a less preferred embodiment, any set of fold lines 18 and 24; 22 and 20; 18 and 20; or 22 24 could be eliminated.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an envelope comprising overlying sheets of material and having two spaced-apart side edges, a bottom edge, a top edge spaced-apart from said bottom edge and an opening providing acces to a compartment defined by said sheets of material and within the confines of said side edges, said bottom edge and said top edge for edge for receiving an object to be packaged in said envelope, the improvement comprising a first folding line formed in one of said sheets of material, and a second folding line formed in one of said sheets of material, said folding lines each extending at least part way across said envelope between said side edges and being in spaced apart relationship with respect to each other with one of said folding lines being positioned closer to said bottom edge than to said top edge and the other of said folding lines being positioned closer to said top edge than to said bottom edge, said folding lines constituting bending lines about which each said sheet of material in which said folding line is formed folds to accommodate a bulky object packaged in said envelope, said sheets of material being of single-faced corrugated paper, the facing of said corrugated paper being on the outside of envelope.

2. An envelope according to claim 1 wherein said sheets of material are constituted by a single sheet of material folded upon itself along a line coinciding with one of said edges of said envelope.

3. An envelope according to claim 2 wherein said one edge is said bottom edge of said envelope.

4. An envelope according to claim 2 wherein said opening is adjacent said top edge of said envelope and including a gummed flap for sealing said opening, said gummed flap being an extension of said facing.

5. In an envelope comprising overlying sheets of material having two spaced-apart side edges, a bottom edge, a top edge spaced apart from said bottom edge and an opening providing access to a compartment defined by said sheets of material and within the confines of said side edges, said bottom edge and said top edge for receiving an object to be packaged in said envelope, the improvement comprising first and second folding lines folding lines formed in one of said sheets of material, third and fourth folding lines formed in the other of said sheets of material, said folding lines each extending at least part Way across said envelope between said side edges, said first folding line being spaced apart from said second folding line and said third foliclng line being spaced apart from said fourth folding line, said third and fourth folding lines being in substantial alignment with said first and second folding lines respectively, said first and third folding lines being positioned closer to said bottom edge than to said top edge and said second and fourth folding lines being positioned closer to said top edge than to said bottom edge, said folding lines constituting bending lines about which each said sheet of material in which said folding lines are formed folds to accommodate a bulky object packaged in said envelope.

6. An envelope according to claim 1 wherein said sheets of material are constituted by a single sheet of single-faced corrugated paper folded upon itself along a line coinciding with said bottom edge of said envelope, said opening is adjacent said top edge of said envelope, and said first and second folding lines are formed in one of said sheets of material, and including a gummed flap for sealing said opening said gummed flap being an extension of said facing, and third and fourth folding lines formed in the other of said sheets of material, said third and fourth folding lines each extending at least part way across said envelope between said side edges and being in substantial alignment with said first and second folding lines respectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,584,633 2/1952 Southwick 22955 2,689,079 9/1954 Timer 22955 3,073,508 1/1963 Hiersteiner 22968 3,203,618 8/1965 Andrews et a1. 229- DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner US. 01 n. 22943, 

